Lawrence High junior Marly Carmona throws to first during Lawrence High's softball game against Shawnee Mission Northwest, Thursday, March 28, 2013 at LHS.

Lawrence High softball coach Nick Wood walked away from Thursday’s doubleheader sweep at the hands of Shawnee Mission Northwest convinced there’s a part of his team that’s ready to be good, but it first needs to be comfortable with a lead.

“Both games we got out in front,” Wood said. “We’ve got to be ready to embrace that role. When you get up, don’t let them back in it.”

All it took a big inning in both games by the Cougars (2-0) to weather a pair of preliminary blows delivered by the Lions (0-2). A four-run third in Thursday’s opener powered the Cougars to a 4-2 win, and in the nightcap, SM Northwest broke open a 3-3 stalemate with a six-run fourth before cruising to a 13-3 victory.

Before the season opener, Wood talked about using Thursday as a chance to gauge his team’s prospects this season. The Lions, who went 5-16 in 2012, don’t return any seniors and field six underclassmen on varsity.

Sophomore second baseman Kenzie Garver said the Lions’ lack of recent success may have contributed to the trouble they had in maintaining momentum in either game.

“I think we just didn’t have the fire to go out and want to win,” Garvin said.

Garvin did her part in the second inning of the nightcap with a two-RBI double to tie the game after the Cougars took an early 3-1 lead.